Give me a reason to praise

The Psalmist writes:
‘By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?’ (Psalm 137:1-4)
When Verity and I first met the 4 men (musicians) from the Congo, we lovingly came to know as ‘the Congo boys’ in 2002, this was the lament we heard from them almost word for word. Being an asylum seeker in Australia on bridging visa type E is one of the most difficult and oppressive processes any foreigner to our shores will face. Australian policies and attitudes towards refugees and asylum seekers are atrocious and embarrassing. As I (and my church at the time) have journeyed with them providing housing, food, medical assistance, financial assistance and advocacy (they have no rights or access to any of these through our government) there have been times where I have been angry and ashamed to be an Australian. While my frustration at the system spurred me on to fight harder for the Congo boys they were quietly in their own way teaching me much about the presence of God in adversity and the meaning of faith.
One day Verity and I had Etienne and Adolphe over for a meal and they shared some of their struggle with us as they often would. They had broken through the language and cultural barriers settling in Australia, had learnt to accept that sleepless nights due to the memories of what they had endured would now become a way of life and learnt how to handle the depression of missing home & family. Through all of this they were still able to look us in the eye, bring a grin to their faces and say, ‘but God is good’. That statement just about knocked me off my chair.
In 2006 Verity and I helped the ‘Congo boys’ now calling themselves ‘Vox Congo’ (the voice of the Congo) release their first CD – ‘Kinanga’ meaning ‘stand up people and hear the good news’. Vox Congo had found their song in a strange land. Their testimony is that they do not feel abandoned by God during this difficult time of displacement. One of their songs, ‘Captivity’ written by Etienne while in Australia is based on Psalm 137. It turns a lament into appreciation by saying, ‘You (God) are the source of human dignity and it’s in your image we are created. Give us the spirit of love and compassion, enable us to love every single person, and to appreciate those who differ from us and share the resources of our nation. And to receive the gifts offered by other people from other cultures, may we all respond to justice as God creates peace and harmony.’
Vox Congo have an infectious faith and positive outlook on life which is enlightening coming from a group of guys who truly understand persecution and oppression. Last time Vox Congo visited Adelaide, Papy was waiting to hear about his residency application. When he returned to Melbourne he found us his application had been accepted. Vox Congo are here again this weekend and Martinse awaits a reply on his application. Let us hope the same answer is waiting for him when he returns home. Etienne and Adolphe are still hanging in the balance seeking asylum.
I chose Psalm 136 for this mornings service because Vox Congo have given me cause for everyday praise.
Shalom
Mark Riessen

Let’s settle this!

Have you ever heard the saying, “revenge is a dish best served cold”? What is that? Have you ever really thought about what that means? Is there ever a best way to serve up revenge to someone? Come on, really, is there anything good about revenge at all for anyone?
The Psalmist writes, “I cry to you for help, O Lord, in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why O Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?” (Ps 88:13-14) Here is part of a reflection of utter despair, anguish and lament appealing to God for sympathy, intervention, something that will not only take away the pain but bring swift justice against whatever is causing the pain.
Unlike many other Psalms, we don’t get any impression from this one that God has turned the situation around to give the Palmist any cause for praise. In fact it’s quite the opposite. God is silent and seemingly absent. So what must one do when your appeal to the most powerful of forces of intervention seems to fall on deaf ears, when justice is not served and the wrongs against you are too much to bare? You take revenge of course!
Revenge is about taking matters into your own hands. Revenge is about gathering all your hurt, anger and frustration into a nice little cluster, then unleashing it with all its fury towards someone who ‘deserves’ it. Feels good doesn’t it…or does it? What does it achieve really? A short rush of adrenalin?. Maybe a stronger counter serve back at you. What has it achieved really?
Rob Bell, presenter on Nooma, talks about this in one of his presentations titled ‘Luggage’. Referring to Romans 12 he says, ‘don’t take revenge, but leave room for God, in other words let God take care of it.’ Then he goes on to say, ‘Revenge is really saying to God, “God I don’t trust you to deal with this situation, this person has wronged me and I don’t know what you’re going to do here.” Because if we can control revenge then we get to determine the outcome, it’s like you’re saying you don’t trust God to handle this. Well we know best of course. You could think of this handing over to God in the sense that God will take revenge for us because of course God is on our side. Surely, I mean that’s how it was for the Israelites wasn’t it?
This theological interpretation doesn’t sit well with me because it assumes that God’s action will be exactly what I expect, but if I take a broader theological reflection from what I understand of scripture, God will not act in ways we expect. That’s the whole point isn’t it, about handing it over to God? There are times when we do not have the capacity to handle a response to something like this. We could cause serious harm to another by taking revenge, is that what is really going to make you feel good? Is that going to bring you peace?
The Gospel writers have Jesus speaking some crazy language like love your enemies, and turning the other cheek. Surely this alternative could bring about more hope than retaliation could. In the moments when we’re screaming into the darkness for justice and all we get is silence, remember that God is with you and it’s not that God isn’t speaking it’s that you may not be ready or willing to hear what God has to say.

Shalom
Mark Riessen

Habits that give cause for praise or lament

Have you ever seen a nun in her habit? Have you ever wondered what on earth possesses them to wear such outrageous fashion? I have often wondered at the mystery of things I don’t understand. This has been part of my motivation for watching the latest series of Compass: ‘The Abbey’ on the ABC Sunday nights. I decided to park my cynical mind for a moment and watch the unfolding of the stories told by nuns who have chosen to live a life of solitude dedicated to prayer, silence, service and private community. My eyes have been open to appreciate many amazing things about the monastic lifestyle.
The habit a nun wears is not just a bad fashion statement, in fact it is a symbol of the rebellion against conformity. The habit is a sacrament in itself, each part of the garment carrying significant meaning (as acknowledged in a ceremony of receiving the consecrated garb) that reminds the nun of the lifestyle she has chosen to live. A life clothed not in the things of this world, in fact they have renounced the things of this world, but clothed in a habit which would display the life of Christ. The habit reminds her each day that she has reason to praise God and she will praise God through her every action.
We have many habits in life that display who we are. So what are habits? You know, it’s that thing you do when you don’t know you’re doing it, like biting your nails when you’re nervous, or biting your tongue when you’re concentrating really hard. I have this habit where I jig my right leg rapidly when I’m stressed or have a lot on my mind. This habit was discovered by my wife one day when she noticed the dining table was vibrating along with the floor and the things on the table were migrating all by themselves to the edges. It was not until the obvious questions of curiosity were asked by people sitting around the table that my wife and I discovered my habit and stopped.
We all have habits even when we don’t know it, habits that cause certain behaviors. Some people’s habits are constructed deliberately like the habits of those who want to give thanks and praise God through acts of service and worship. There are habits that are counter productive for us that can be self-destructive. They can cause us and others harm. Some of us don’t like the habits we have and we try recondition our lifestyle but fail. Many habits give us cause for lament. Each habit creates a rhythm in life, but how often do we stop and ponder our habit? How happy are you with the habits you have in your everyday life?
‘The nun does not get up in the morning and go to the closet and think to herself, hmmm. I wonder what to wear today. The habit is what she wears.’[1]
What kind of habit will you don today? Will it be a habit of lament or a habit of giving praise to God with your everyday life? This habit is clothing you’re self with Christ intentionally each day and allowing your life to speak out of it.
Shalom
Mark Riessen

[1] Crowder, David, ‘Praise Habit – finding God in sunsets and sushi’, Think 2004, Colorado Springs, p39